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UNITED 'STATES f PATENT g- OFFICE.

CHARLES H. ROBERTS, OF LLOYD, NEVV YORK.

PRESERVING ENSILAGE IN SILOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 257,762, dated May 9, 1882.

` Application filed April 1, 1882. (No model.)

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES H. ROBERTS, of Lloyd, in the county of Ulster and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Preserving Ensilage in Silos, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

' The object of my invention is to protect ensilage in silos from the effects of air and evaporation.

The invention consists in covering the open` ing in the silofor instance, doorways, &c.- with some fabric which is impervious to air or moisture, which fabric rests against the inner or outer surfaces of the planks closing the openings, or of planks used for' covering the ensilage, or planks used to build' up the sides of the silo, as will be fully described hereina ter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of the door of a silo provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a modified arrangement of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 1.-

It is of very great importance to keep air from coming in contact with and acting on the ensilage packed in a silo, as by the evaporation ofthe moisture of the ensilage, under the action of the air theensilage becomes moldy and decomposed. Besides the loss of the decomposed forage the animals are very apt to become diseased from eating such decomposed or moldy forage. To prevent the entrance of air the joints and crevices between the planks in the doorway, Ste., are iilled up with clay, o.; but this does not form an eifective seal, and requires much time and labor.

rI he door-opening A of the silo is provided with rabbets B for receiving the ends of the planks C used to close this opening. A piece, D, of tarred felt paper or cloth, oil-cloth, rubber oloth,or any other fabric or material covered or impregnated or treated with oil, gum,

or resin to render it impervious to air and moisture is placed against Athe inner ,sides of the planks C 1n such a manner that this cover D overlaps the ends of the planks and also laps over on the bottom of the silo. After placing the lowest plank across the doorway one end of the piece of fabric or covering D is lapped a few inches on the bottom of the silo, and is secured in place over the doorway by tacking or otherwise fastening it to the planks across the doorway. The ensilage is packed against this covering, and as the silo becomes filled one plank is placed.v above the other, and the covering or fabric D is placed against the in ner surfaces of the planks and the ensilage is packed against Vthis covering; or, if desired, the fabric or covering D may be cut in pieces or lengths long enough to reach across the doorway and lap a few inches over each jam, and these strips are secured as described above, commencing at the bottom and lapping each piece a little over the other and securing them in position as the filling of the silo progresses, when the pressure of the forage will lhold the fabric in place against the planks and exclude all air 5 or, if desired, the fabric D may be placed over the doorway and the planks C can be placed over it, whereby the edges of the fabric will be pressed into the jambs, as shown in Fig. 2. ln this case the fabric or covering will be on the outside of the planks. This fab rie or covering may also be used for covering the forage, after packing it in silos,by spreading the fabric over the fora-ge and lapping the edges, when the boards or planks are placed on it, on which planks the usual weights or compressors are applied, whereby the air will be excluded, evaporation of the moisture is prevented, and molding at the top of the ensilage is prevented, thereby rendering .less weight necessary to compress the forage or ensilage to the desired degree. The fabric or covering can also be placed between the forage and planking on the sides of silos where the planking extends above the walls, or when the silo is made of planks. This method of pack;

ling and preserving ensilage leaves abundant space for the air to escape during compression at the sides of the walls between the wallsland plank coverings, the object being to exclude theair from ensilage and prevent evaporation at the openings and where the silo is not cov ered with cement.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a silo, the combination, with the Walls,

5 doors, and covers of the ensilage-receptacle, of Aone or more sheets or strips of water and air proof fabric, substantially as herein shown and described, to Aprevent accessof air or the l evaporation of the moisture of the enslage,

and thereby preserve the same from decompo- 1o sition, as set forth.

cHs. H. RoBERTs.

Witnesses:

OSCAR F. GUNZ, C. SEDGWICK. 

